Fast Retailing sending Syria clothes

Fast Retailing Co. said it will donate $1 million (¥99.3 million) to provide assistance to Syrian refugees as well as warm clothing, mainly for children, ahead of winter.

The owner of the Uniqlo clothing chain said Friday the donation, to be made via the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, will offer shelter, water, food and health care to refugees.

A total of 100,000 items of Uniqlo thermal Heat Tech inner wear and Ultra Light Down jackets will be disbursed via UNICEF to young refugees aged 3 to 18, Fast Retailing said.

The company said it will also prioritize Syrian refugees in donating children’s clothing obtained through the company’s All Product Recycling Initiative, which collects used clothes and donates them to people in need.

Fast Retailing said more than 2 million Syrian refugees, over half of whom are believed to be aged 17 or younger, are estimated to have fled to surrounding nations such as Jordan.